MBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[David Collinge]

... though a colleague at Washington & Jefferson professed ignorance that they even played basketball there.)

In a way, they don't. 

Now if only the national mediots would understand what a great game Witt and Wooster will be on Saturday...

Well, at least ONE national media outlet will be in attendance, covering this game with the fervor it deserves...

[smedindy]

Aside from the big Wabash / OWU clash, three other games on Wednesday seem foregone conclusions (sorry Earlham, love to see the upset but I can't call it) - the Kenyon / Hiram matchup is important for the #8 seed in the tourney.

Many may scoff but that is an important goal for those schools. They get to play at least one additional game and have a little more practice time. And for players like Formato and Rehm of Kenyon, or TC Spencer of Hiram one additional game in their college career is gravy. Besides, you never know in basketball. Curry did beat Trinity (CT) and Nazarene beat St. John Fisher this year. And 3-15 Augsburg beat 14-4 St. Thomas as well.

(Though in Vegas, it would be Kenyon +25 1/2 against Wooster in the NCAC tourney)

[billy_pilgrim]

Earlham is the school that needs to get in gear. (And Wabash needs a lacrosse program, but that's another time and place...)

#1. We're in Indiana.
#2. We're on D3Hoops.com

#1 + #2 = complete apathy to all other sports...

In fact, it's my greatest dream that Earlham will drop all sports except for men's basketball...freeing up funds for the basketball program and grand success might therefore arrive.

Eh, I suppose we can keep around the women's basketball program too....I need a mortal enemy.

And women's soccer....it can stay as well. (That was for you Mrs. Lickliter and Mr. Watts.) 

[smedindy]

Ah, but some of us are also on D3football.com as well!

[billy_pilgrim]

Ah, but some of us are also on D3football.com as well!

We're was some sort of third person, plural refrence to myself...Billy_Pilgrim

ah, playing with persona........only on a D-3 message board and Mary Lacey's creative writing class (the highlight of any liberal arts college curriculum)

Where were those earlier posts about SAT scores? Come on, we're all educated...earlhamalum excluded......

seriously, tomorrow night (and the actual games) can't get here soon enough...

[Li'l Giant]

And Wabash needs a lacrosse program, but that's another time and place...)

Is there still a club team?

[earlhamalum]

billy_pilgram-  I got my four-year degree in Procrastination... doesn't that count for me Edumucation?

[smedindy]

Oh, Billy, you missed a heck of a girls game on Friday.

The final score was 72-65 - it was well played with not many turnovers, no jump balls. Whilst it wasn't a packed house, and of course it hasn't been since the IHSAA became idiots and foisted class basketball on us,  it was the largest crowd of the season and they all came pretty early, too. Crawfordsville scored six points in 51 seconds to cut a 9-point lead to three and kept that momentum.

That game was much better than the boys game, BTW...

Try it, you'll like it! (Of course, if you go see Riverton Parke play North Vermillion, then all claims are off the table!) 

[woosterbooster]

With their new facility, and hopefully a new commitment to improving their teams, I can foresee Kenyon becoming sort of a DIII Stanford or Duke, an academically excellent school that also excels in a variety of sports.

The Kenyon student body, including the athletic teams, comes from all over the country.  The word is obviously already out that it's an excellent school.  It's my suspicion, too, that since the campus is so isolated that they must have something else going on for them, a strong cohesiveness among the students.  This new athletic facility will only further that.  I'd say, watch out for them over the next few years, especially in hoops.  They may find themselves wishing they'd have built a gym with more than the current 1,500 seats (it didn't seem possible, given it's setting, to add more seating, except possibly a couple of rows of low bleachers at court's end).  A very positive dilemna.

[ScotsFan]

I don't know why I thought it would happen, but when ESPNU was announced I had hopes that they would show games like this rather than a Sun Belt matchup. It would be a lot better channel if they did.

It's not the Sun Belt matchups that ESPNU airs that irk me.  Well, they do a little bit. It's the High School Hoops matchups they seem to be airing on a nightly basis that really irritates me.  I had high hopes for this channel when it was announced, and not just for the possibility of showing some high profile DIII games, but also for the possibility of seeing some other NCAA sports as well.  Instead, we get high school phenoms.  I can't see those ratings as being very high for those games.  And speaking of ratings, how about Fairfield vs. Rider or Delaware St. vs. S. Carolina St. on the docket this weekend.  I don't know about anyone else, but I can't wait for those matchups?!

[smedindy]

One thing, though, is that Kenyon relies on full-pay students more than some other NCAC schools.  While that doesn't hurt in swimming, where the athletes may be more affluent, that does hurt in some areas.

However, that hasn't stopped Witt (who has the lowest endowment per student of anyone in the NCAC) from competing. But it is a factor to consider. If you are a moderate income family, and you have to pay more to go to Kenyon rather than another school, it's a choice you must make.

[smedindy]

Scots Fan -

I'm all for those games being televised. I troll my dish to see the small D-1 conferences - so bring 'em on! They're better, I think, than watching the mediorce big conference teams slog it out.

Besides Delaware St. vs. South Carolina St. is an important MEAC game, and Delaware St. has a good team that could upset someone in the D-1 tourney. If you recall, they gave Duke all they could handle last year.

[pennstghs]

I think the game tonight vs Earlham all depends on the start of the game. Basically, if Witt gets off to a good start on the road and proves that they're not looking ahead to Wooster, its all over. Sorry Quakers, you just don't have the experience to come back against us.

[earlhamalum]

Kenyon's new facility can only help!  I didn't think their old gym was that bad... I could think of a handful I'd update before Kenyon's.  OBERLIN, HIRAM, DEN,OWU. *okay i didn't complete the whole hand. 

If you look at where Earlham was PRE-1999 (basketball related) and 1999-current, there is a Huge change.  The Wellness Center Open it's doors in 1999.  (My freshman year).  I only heard stories about the old TRUEBLOOD Field House, but I'm not sure if you could have talked me and my parents into Spending 20+ thousand a year to go there and play in a poor facility.  I could have gone to I.U. for under 8 thousand and have a better work-out area for the Students!  Well that wasn't true when Earlham Built the Wellness Center and that is one thing that Coach J  used in recruiting.  So Kenyon could be the next Ohio team in years to come competing for the Top 4 spots.  Does Chad Ploke (sp?) have any eligibility  left?

Pennstghs- It did take Witt. two tries to get their first win,  at Schuckman Court in the Wellness Center!!!

[ScotsFan]

Kenyon's new facility can only help!  I didn't think their old gym was that bad... I could think of a handful I'd update before Kenyon's.  OBERLIN, HIRAM, DEN,OWU. *okay i didn't complete the whole hand. 

You can take Denison off your list because Livingston Gym was newly renovated this season.  You make a good point about facilities making a difference in recruiting.  Earlham was not a very good program before the Wellness Center came into fruition.  Coach Justus in combination with the new facilities has really made Earlham into a competitive program in the conference. 

The problem is, Wooster will be getting some new digs in a few years, so that advantage of having nicer facilities will be out the window.  Not that Wooster's current facilities hinder their recruiting in any way. 

And Smeds, to each his own.  Personally, I don't find much interest in the MEAC or any other obscure DI conferences.  I do like to see some of those obscure teams cause some havoc come March.  But until then, unless it involves Michigan (who happens to be tied for 1st in the Big 10 I might add ) I really don't have much interest in DI until March.  I would much rather enjoy seeing some good CCIW or WIAC contests over Fairfield and Rider any day though.